Draft-equalizer.



m n. a .l .w t n B t a P n. m In .I2 WKLv. www Sum .Em BT@ .F.h RA@ ww m 2. oo 2li 5 6 6 0. N

(No Nudel.)

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica RODNEY B. SWIFT, OF CHICAGOfILLINOIS.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No'. 665,2S2, dated January 1, 1901.

' Application led November 24, 1900. Serial No. 37,654; (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, RoDNnY B. SWIFT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful- Improvement in Draft-Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manner of combining the long and short levers of which such equalizers are commonly composed when it is desired to use ateam of more than two animals in drawing the machine or vehicle to which the evener is attached.

The object of my invention is to so combine the two levers that, while retaining the capacity for independent oscillation on dierent centers within certain arcs, they become converted into a continuous rigid lever compelled to move on a common center when opened or spread apart to an extent where such independent movement is undesirable, and to combine therewith a chain or cord so connected with each of the levers and so supported intermediately that when such levers become converted into a continuous rigid lever their further movement on their common fulcrum tends to take up the chain or cord at one end faster than it is released at the other, whereby the diiferential movement of the two ends of the chain held in fixed alinement by the rigidity of the continuous lever checks rotation on this fulcrum against the yielding resistance afforded by the pull of the team on the outer end of such lever.

Figure l of the drawings shows in perspective a draft-equalizer embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section, on the line 00:1; of Fig. 1 looking toward the tongue, also showing a portion of the tongue.

L is a lever pivoted to the tongue at its inner end (the pivot being indicated by l) and having pivotally secured near its outer end either a siugletree or a doubletree to correspond 'with the number of horses composing the team.

S is a lever shorter than L, pivoted to L at 2-that is, between the f ulcrum and the outer end of lever L and at a greater or less distance from its fulcrum, according to the leverage desired. To the opposite end of the lever S is pivotally attached a doubletree carrying singletrees in the usual manner.

C is a chain or cord passing freely around a support behind the levers and secured at oneend to lever L and at the other end to lever S, the point of attachment being outside the supporting-pivots of these levers and that on lever S being much nearer to the main fulcrum at 2 and to the intermediate support of the chain than that on lever L. In order to reduce friction, I prefer to use for this intermediate support an idle antit'riction-wheel W, mounted on a bracket B.l

F is a lug or clasp on leverL intermediate of its pivotal attachment to lever S and its supporting or main pivot 2, adapted to engage with leverS whenever the relative movement of the levers passes a predetermined line governed by the position of such lug relative to the pivots and by the dimensions of the levers. Upon such engagement the two levers, being held together at two points-- viz., pivot 2 and lugF-become practically one continuous rigid lever so far as any further rearward movement of the shorter lever or forward movement of the longer lever is concerned. The center of movement of lever S is thereupon transferred from pivot 2 to pivot l. As a result of this transference of the center of oscillation the points at which the respective ends of the chain are attached are forced to move about a com mon center l, while being at the same time maintained in alinement with each other through the continuity of the now inflexible lever. Hence the long arm of this lever, to which one end of the chain is attached, is forced to travel on a long arc, while the Short arm, to which the chain is attached near the fulcrum, travels on a short arc. To permit continual movement of this lever around fulcrum l, it is necessary that the chain travel over the intermediate support in the direction of the long arm much faster than it is released or permitted to move toward this intermediate support by the relatively shorter movement of the short arm, and as soon as the slack in the chain is exhausted lever L is locked against further movement upon its pivot l by the pull of the chain on its outer end, due to the fact that its continued oscillation on its pivot requires a more rapid outward movement on the chain than is compensated for by the slower rearward movement at the other end.

IOC)

The two levers continue to act as a single rigid lever fulcrumed at 1 until a reverse movement disengages their connection at F, when their independent movements on different centers is restored. By thus connecting the two levers into a continuous rigid lever having its fulcrum at l I am able to automatically regulate the area over which the evener can oscillate, while avoiding the use of a fixed stop mounted on the frame, tongue, or other iniiexible part of the machine or vehicle. In other words, I give to the two levers, in connection with the chain, the capacity to regulate their movements on a common center. The lug F on lever L partakesV of the yielding movement of that lever and avoids the thug or shock incident to bringing either lever into contact with a fixed stop mounted on a rigid part of the machine.

Instead of placing the lug on the rear of L it might with the same effect be placed on the front side of this lever, on the opposite side of pivot 2, and lever S extended suiiiciently to engage with it there, or it might be placed on the front of lever S, inside of the pivot 2, and projected downward to engage with the front of lever L, or its position on the levers and its shape may be otherwise varied, provided it be so constructed and mounted on one of the levers composing the evener as to convert the two levers into a single rigid lever when they reach the relative positions in which this conversion is desired.

I prefer to extend a single brace or strap P from pivot 2 to the lower end of pivot 1, so as to strengthen the structure without interferingvwith the desired movements and to provide for attaching the chain at different point-s, as illustrated by dotted lines, at one end and bolt or rivet holes at the other; also, to provide different points of attachment for the doubletree or singletree, particularly on lever L.

I claim- A draft-equalizer composed of a lever pivoted to the tongue, a shorter lever pivoted to this lever outside the last-mentioned pivot, a lug or clasp mounted on one of said levers engaging with the other as the shorter lever swings backward, thereby converting them into a continuous rigid lever fulcrumed on the first-mentioned pivot, and a chain or cord having an end attached to each lever at different distances from their common fulcrum and passing around an intermediate support behind such tule-rum, whereby further swing of this lever on its fulcrum compels its longer arm to move from such intermediate support faster than the shorter arm approaches it, and is resisted by the chain, substantially as described.

RODNEY B. SWIFT.

Witnesses:

WM. H. FERGUSON, G. A. RANNEY. 

